The United States is deploying an amphibious assault ship and a Patriot missile battery in the Gulf in response to alleged threats from Iran.
The USS Arlington will join the Abraham Lincoln carrier group.
According to reports, Pentagon’s intelligence reports said Iran was planning some sort of attack in the region.
The USS Arlington transports marines, amphibious vehicles, conventional landing craft and rotary aircraft, and the Patriot air defence system.
Pentagon said, the carrier and a B-52 bomber task force arrived at the area of operations towards the Gulf in response to indications of heightened Iranian readiness to conduct offensive operations against the U.S. forces and their interests.
Washington reiterated the deployment is to send a clear and unmistakable message to Iran about any attack against the US or its allies in the region.
The U.S. has drawn criticism that it is overreacting and unnecessarily driving up tensions in the region.
There was no reaction from Tehran on the latest U.S. moves.
The U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday he was open to talks with Tehran’s leadership.
